Merge two sorted arrays in-place
Company: Meta
Role: Software Engineer
Category: Coding & Algorithms
Difficulty: Medium
Interview Round: Onsite
You are given two sorted arrays: nums1 of length m + n with its first m entries initialized and the rest zeros, and nums2 of length n. Merge nums2 into nums1 in non-decreasing order in-place using O(
1) extra space and O(m + n) time by filling from the end. Discuss and test edge cases such as empty arrays, all elements equal, and when all elements of one array precede the other.
Quick Answer: This question evaluates array manipulation skills and competency in designing in-place, linear-time algorithms for merging sorted sequences while respecting space constraints, and it falls under the Coding & Algorithms domain with a focus on practical application of algorithmic implementation rather than purely theoretical analysis.